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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. key — for a lock
  3. swing — music
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. object — an aim
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mate — a partner
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tube — the underground
  16. key — the most important part
  17. branch — a division
  18. mate — to breed
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — in music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com